1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasound endoscope equipped with an ultrasound probe at a distal end of an insertion portion, a suction apparatus for an ultrasound endoscope that is compatible with the ultrasound endoscope, and an ultrasound endoscope system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, elastography that displays the hardness of living tissue has been practically applied to ultrasound observation that uses an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2012-81295). According to elastography technology, for example, a change (displacement) in a deformed state of living tissue is measured by changing a pressing state of an ultrasound probe with respect to an organ that can be detected using ultrasound to two or more states, and an elastographic image can be constructed based on a deformation (strain) obtained by spatially differentiating such displacement.
It is anticipated that such elastography technology will be applied to various kinds of ultrasound observation apparatuses, and that, for example, the detection rate for lesions in deep organs can be improved by applying elastography technology to an ultrasound endoscope having an ultrasound probe at a distal end of an insertion portion.